Step, Step, Meander.

Perpignan, Arzu & CS

We were incredibly lucky to connect and meet Arzu here in Perpignan.  An active member of the Couch Surfing Network and an all around lovely person to know, before even meeting us she offered to let us stay in her home while she was away on vacation.

Visiting the city this time of year is a special treat – the area is alive with photography, journalists, shows, talks, conferences and multimedia exhibitions – however, along with this comes the challenge of finding a place to stay.  Not only is it costly, but people book their rooms far in advance, and the expenses can add up quickly if you are without a kitchen or fridge…

Through the community of CS we’ve found ourselves not only outfitted with a beautiful apartment, but a few new friends as well.  A pure pleasure, and a great introduction into a community of kind French souls!

A shot from Arzu’s lovely apartment - we only met for a breif time before she took off to Turkey for her sisters wedding, and we didn’t get a chance to have a photo together! :(

SVP?

Well, it happened. 
It was bound to, I supposed. 
We hit an invisible hitch hiking wall. 

It’s name was France.

Over the course of two days we spent 8 hours waiting for rides in the hot sun.  We watched empty SUV’s roll past by the dozen, the looks on their faces expressing clearly that they would rather undergo some sort of surgery than open their car door to us.   

Roadside camping - a highlight between all the waiting:
We open-camped out in a few forests (actually a great time), walked quite a ways and spend too much time in the searing sun.  Just in time for the heat wave we waited patiently, smiling and trying our best to put off that “I swear, we’re not actually serial-killers” sort of vibe.

Eventually we {finally} got a ride from a lovely lady from Paris, about our age with a killer fashion sense, an open mind, and a kind heart.  We actually changed our route to get this ride to her city, realizing that we didn’t have much of a choice.  We happily and eagerly took the ride to Marseille and hopped on the train once we got there.  At least for the moment, we were over the idea of hitching in France.

She chatted with us about France, about the area and how she simply could not believe the attitude of the people here… “I could be lying in the street dying and these people would not help me,” she shared, her heavy accent adding an appropriate irony to her statement.

Fat chance us Canadian hitch-hikers had then, huh? 

As is always the case, you cannot paint all people in an area with the same brush, and we did indeed meet her – a pleasure – but it was interesting to hear a French habitant express concern regarding the French attitude as well.

Needless to say, we were glad to get on that train to Perpignan, and looking forward to a change of pace that took us away from the French road side… at least for a few days anyways.

Van a la Benz

The warm wind blows by my face through the crack atop the oversized windows as light spills into the van from all sides.  My hand runs over the golden fur of the kind-tempered puppy’s head nestled on my lap.  I can’t help but smile as Italy passes us by - a moving picture through the frame of the old cube window.  Handmade curtains are pushed aside, while on the opposite wall laundry hangs in the breeze, drying quickly in the heat of the summer day.

It’s a pleasure, really.  Excellent company, and a welcoming environment – the chance to stretch your legs and relax your mind.  A custom-converted home on wheels with new acquaintances and the entertainment of getting to know someone through a language barrier.

One of our favourite rides - over two days, with Johanna, George and GB… from the Hungarian boarder to Milan with our new french friends.

Unfortunately, shortly after this ride I lost my bag… complete with our point & shoot inside.  It’s still a little to fresh to blog about - but, we don’t have any digital photos of the van adventure because of it… above, a cathedral in Milan.

Seductive Travel in Budapest

Travel can be bi-polar sometimes.  You simply never know what will happen next and you certainly can’t predict your experiences in any one city.  Budapest was one of these places…

The journey to Budapest ended up being sort of hilarious, as we hitched a ride with an old Romanian man who almost fell asleep at the wheel multiple times… Trevor, of course came to the rescue and drove us the rest of the way into the city.  Haha.

We ended up in town late in the evening, wondering the streets with our packs and little direction.  Just as our spirits were falling a bit, and our packs seemed to be growing with each step when all of a sudden we were in the middle of the most spectacular fireworks display I’ve ever seen. 

It was a holiday in town and it seemed the whole city was out to celebrate – the perfectly timed explosions went on for at least 30 mins, a spectacle of colour palettes and excitement.  It was impossible not to leave with a smile.

After more wondering and some inquiries as to a cheap hotel or hostle we found that the consensus was that such a thing didn’t exist in this side of town – we were quickly feeling out of luck again.  Tried from a long day of hitching, and from carrying our packs around aimlessly. 

Then it happened. 

Travel redeemed itself, as it always does. 
A seductive little vixen she is. 
Knowing just what you need and somehow presenting it to you at the most necessary times…

We ended up settled in that night with a three-bedroom apartment in the heart of the city, with a stunning view from our 6^th floor balcony, full kitchen, bath and laundry on sight for only 35 Euros a night.  It was a travel miracle!

Needless to say, we love love loved it and ended up spending an extra night in town, exploring the area and taking full advantage of the on site kitchen.  It’s amazing how much you miss the little things like cooking when you’ve been on the road for so long. 

Great candle-lit dinners on the terrace, stunning natural light and a full re-charge for the same price as a hostel.  It was perfect – thank you Budapest.

A few shots of our new temporary home- it might not seem like much, but when you’re hosteling, let me tell you - this is luxury!:My chef cookin’ up a little breakfast for dinner:A few shots form our time out on the town:

Sapanta’s Merry Cemetery

Nestled at the centre of a small town amongst the rolling hills is a colourful rhythmic display of craftsmanship and spirit.  A merry little cemetery with verses carefully carved for each resident and painted portraits to memorialize them. 

Although the verses are obviously written in Romanian, it was delightful to wonder about and inspect the carvings first hand. 

A wave of colour greets you at the entrance and the original carver’s (Stan Ioan Pătraş) apprentice is working hard in his hut restoring the oldest crosses and making the occasional new one. 

The current restoration master & carver:

An Epic Hike in Borsa

After a speedy ride through the mountains with a few friendly Italian teens we arrived in the hill-city of Borsa. 

The countryside here is incredible – and we spent an entire day (as in, 10 hours) out in the hills taking it all in.  We hiked to the second highest point in all of Romania – some 2158 meters above sea level, surrounded by rolling green hills, and accompanied by two friendly pooches’ that befriended us along the way. 

It was an epic hike filled with fresh air, adorable lakes, the jiggling of cow bells, herds of sheep and spectacular views.  We marched about 25km that day and loved every minute of it!  We only had along the point & shoot, but here are a few of our favourites:

Logging here requires great skill from both the horses & their trainers.  It was amazing to see first hand:
Unfortunately, there were also areas where clear-cutting took place.  Opposite the waterfall this was the scene - with only one lone tree left standing, due to it’s trail maker:Waterfall lunch:Up in the hills, well above the crowds and near the clouds:Lake lunch - oh so satisfying! Our new friends for the day, Flop & Bozo:The reward:The walk back down to a neighbouring town was accompanied by a stunning sunset:

Praid

Salt.

Salt brought us to Praid and we ended up spending our time 2700 metres underground, in a self-implemented badminton battle.

I love travel.

Salt has been mined in Praid for hundreds of years, and now the industry has evolved to expand and include a “treatment area” in the underground mine meant to help people with ailments such as asthma, and other respiratory issues.  The result is an underground lair equipped with Ping-Pong tables, jumpy castles, swings and teeter-totters.  To say that it’s a unique entity is an understatement.  There’s even a church, complete with pews, deities, crosses and wise men. 

We gave in to the appeal of the salt-mine and bought ourselves some rackets and joined in the healing!

Old school mining tactics:Lots to entertain:Underground church:And, of course, the snack bar:

(see next post for video clip!)

Vampires in Sighisoara

It is said that this is Draula’s birthplace…

The centre of town is lined with restored old buildings and cobblestone streets.  Small commemorative placks are tacked up carefully on the buildings, and tourists evidently book their rooms month’s in advance. 

We spent only one evening wading through the citadel area, recouped, did some emailing and took some time to work out finishing touches on Trevor’s website.  The tourist office helped us find a cute little place to stay, the weather was warm & sunny and our guesthouse had an adorable little courtyard/garden for chilling in.